“Love Yourself” by Dashboard Confessional | My 8th grade self is overjoyed by new Dashboard Confessional music and it just so happens that my favourite song is a cover of Justin Bieber’s “Love Yourself”. I’m not a fan of the original but I’ve been listening to this cover on repeat!

“Stay in the Dark” by The Band Perry | Apparently The Band Perry are taking a pop route with their new album and while I was initially skeptical, I am a big fan of this song. Perfect for singing along with in the car!

Old Navy Mid-Rise Printed Compression Crops | I picked up a pair of these compression crops at Old Navy a couple weeks ago and I’ve since placed an order for more.  I love the style, plus they are super comfortable and affordable!

Anastasia Beverly Hills Lip Gloss | I dedicated an entire post to my love of the Anastasia Beverly Hills lip gloss in Orchid and I don’t see the obsession ending anytime soon.  Jordan actually gave me another one in “Purple Rain”, so keep an eye out for that review!

Too Faced Sweet Peach Eyeshadow Palette | I wrote a thorough review on this palette yesterday but I couldn’t leave it off the list considering it has been the palette I’ve been reaching for most often this month!

Acure Aromatherapeutic Rose Argan Oil | I received this in a box from M² Brand Management and it has been saving my dry winter skin! My skin is normally combination-oily but this time of year it turns dry and flaky.  I’ve been using this oil at night and I haven’t experienced any dryness since!

Riverdale | If you follow me on Twitter then you’ve probably already realized my obsession with Riverdale.  It feels like forever since I’ve been obsessed with a TV show and this one is filling the void! We binge-watched all the episodes on Netflix last weekend and now I am waiting (im)patiently for each new episode.

And last but not least..

My new layout! If you haven’t seen it yet, be sure to hop on over and check it out! I am so in love. I purchased it from Syncboost on Easy and it cost me less than $10 to buy plus they installed it for free! I mean, does it get any better than that? I have to update my pages in the near future as well but overall, I am so, so pleased and I highly recommend their services! Also, credit to the gorgeous watercolour art used in the header goes to Fox and Hazel!

What have you been loving this month? Leave me a comment below!

SaveSave

Monthly Favourites: February 2017

"Love Yourself" by Dashboard Confessional | My 8th grade self is overjoyed by new Dashboard Confessional music and it just so happens that my favourite song is a cover of Justin Bieber's "Love Yourself". I'm not a fan of the original but I've been listening to this cover on repeat!

"Stay in the Dark" by The Band Perry | Apparently The Band Perry are taking a pop route with their new album and while I was initially skeptical, I am a big fan of this song. Perfect for singing along with in the car!

Old Navy Mid-Rise Printed Compression Crops | I picked up a pair of these compression crops at Old Navy a couple weeks ago and I've since placed an order for more.  I love the style, plus they are super comfortable and affordable!

Anastasia Beverly Hills Lip Gloss | I dedicated an entire post to my love of the Anastasia Beverly Hills lip gloss in Orchid and I don't see the obsession ending anytime soon.  Jordan actually gave me another one in "Purple Rain", so keep an eye out for that review!

Too Faced Sweet Peach Eyeshadow Palette | I wrote a thorough review on this palette yesterday but I couldn't leave it off the list considering it has been the palette I've been reaching for most often this month!

Acure Aromatherapeutic Rose Argan Oil | I received this in a box from M² Brand Management and it has been saving my dry winter skin! My skin is normally combination-oily but this time of year it turns dry and flaky.  I've been using this oil at night and I haven't experienced any dryness since!

Riverdale | If you follow me on Twitter then you've probably already realized my obsession with Riverdale.  It feels like forever since I've been obsessed with a TV show and this one is filling the void! We binge-watched all the episodes on Netflix last weekend and now I am waiting (im)patiently for each new episode.

And last but not least..

My new layout! If you haven't seen it yet, be sure to hop on over and check it out! I am so in love. I purchased it from Syncboost on Easy and it cost me less than $10 to buy plus they installed it for free! I mean, does it get any better than that? I have to update my pages in the near future as well but overall, I am so, so pleased and I highly recommend their services! Also, credit to the gorgeous watercolour art used in the header goes to Fox and Hazel!

What have you been loving this month? Leave me a comment below!

Too Faced Sweet Peach Eyeshadow and Lip Oil Review

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that the Too Faced Sweet Peach collection was one of the most highly coveted beauty releases of 2016.  I missed out on the initial release of the eyeshadow palette at Sephora but managed to snag it (with a sweet discount!) from the Too Faced website just after Christmas.  During my last trip to Sephora, I planned to pick up one of their Sweet Peach lip oils but unfortunately the store was out of stock of the colors I was interested in. However, they did have a mini version available as a 100 point perk so I grabbed one to try! Now that I’ve had adequate time to test these products, I’ve decided to share my thoughts with you guys!

Upon opening the adorable orange and pink eyeshadow palette, my first impression was “Wow, this smells delicious!”.  Too Faced is known for making products that smell good enough to eat and this one is no exception.  It smells exactly like fuzzy peach candy!  I also appreciate that the palette case is durable, with a metallic snap to open and close, and features a mirror on the inside.

The palette has 18 shades, most of which are in the peach and bronze category, but also contains some plum (despite “Delectable” looking like a bright purple in the photo above) and green shades.  There is a good combination of shimmery and matte shades that will allow you to create a variety of looks.

The shades are soft to touch and have good pigmentation, with the exception of a couple lighter shades (Georgia and White Peach).  They are a bit chalky and I do experience some fall out on application, but I find that is common with soft shadows.  The shimmery shades are the real winners in this palette as they are extremely pigmented and look gorgeous on the lid.  Too Faced claims that the shadows are infused with “anti-oxidant rich” peach essence and while I cannot speak to that claim, they sure do smell great!

Of all the shades, I use Peaches ‘N Cream, Luscious, Puree, Summer Yum and Charmed, I’m Sure the most for every day wear.  There are so many great shade options to mix and match in here, though, that you could easily use this palette to create day or night looks and I can definitely see myself taking this palette on my travels.

As with the palette,  I had heard a lot of bloggers raving about the Sweet Peach lip oils.  I was looking to try Peach Please or Peach Tease but they were out of stock at my store.  The mini lip oil that they had available was in the shade Pure Peach, which is described as a “peachy pink”.  The lip oil has the same sweet peach scent as the eyeshadows, but I find it a bit sickly on my lips.  I love how moisturizing and comfortable the lip oil feels, however, I was quite disappointed in the color.  I am not sure if it is a bad batch or just this particular color, but I found it quite streaky and uneven and the color definitely clung to any dry patches.  So despite the fact that it feels lovely on my dry lips, it doesn’t look lovely!  I am tempted to buy a full sized lip oil to see if I get similar results because aside from that, I really do enjoy it.

Too Faced Sweet Peach lip oil in “Pure Peach”

You can pick up the Too Faced Sweet Peach collection on their website or at Sephora (online or in store). The collection contains the eyeshadow palette and lip gloss, as well as a highlighting palette and blush, with prices ranging from $24-59 CAD.

Have you tried anything from the Too Faced Sweet Peach collection? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

SaveSave

Too Faced Sweet Peach Eyeshadow and Lip Oil Review

Unless you've been living under a rock, you know that the Too Faced Sweet Peach collection was one of the most highly coveted beauty releases of 2016.  I missed out on the initial release of the eyeshadow palette at Sephora but managed to snag it (with a sweet discount!) from the Too Faced website just after Christmas.  During my last trip to Sephora, I planned to pick up one of their Sweet Peach lip oils but unfortunately the store was out of stock of the colors I was interested in. However, they did have a mini version available as a 100 point perk so I grabbed one to try! Now that I've had adequate time to test these products, I've decided to share my thoughts with you guys!

Upon opening the adorable orange and pink eyeshadow palette, my first impression was "Wow, this smells delicious!".  Too Faced is known for making products that smell good enough to eat and this one is no exception.  It smells exactly like fuzzy peach candy!  I also appreciate that the palette case is durable, with a metallic snap to open and close, and features a mirror on the inside.

The palette has 18 shades, most of which are in the peach and bronze category, but also contains some plum (despite "Delectable" looking like a bright purple in the photo above) and green shades.  There is a good combination of shimmery and matte shades that will allow you to create a variety of looks.

The shades are soft to touch and have good pigmentation, with the exception of a couple lighter shades (Georgia and White Peach).  They are a bit chalky and I do experience some fall out on application, but I find that is common with soft shadows.  The shimmery shades are the real winners in this palette as they are extremely pigmented and look gorgeous on the lid.  Too Faced claims that the shadows are infused with "anti-oxidant rich" peach essence and while I cannot speak to that claim, they sure do smell great!

Of all the shades, I use Peaches 'N Cream, Luscious, Puree, Summer Yum and Charmed, I'm Sure the most for every day wear.  There are so many great shade options to mix and match in here, though, that you could easily use this palette to create day or night looks and I can definitely see myself taking this palette on my travels.

As with the palette,  I had heard a lot of bloggers raving about the Sweet Peach lip oils.  I was looking to try Peach Please or Peach Tease but they were out of stock at my store.  The mini lip oil that they had available was in the shade Pure Peach, which is described as a "peachy pink".  The lip oil has the same sweet peach scent as the eyeshadows, but I find it a bit sickly on my lips.  I love how moisturizing and comfortable the lip oil feels, however, I was quite disappointed in the color.  I am not sure if it is a bad batch or just this particular color, but I found it quite streaky and uneven and the color definitely clung to any dry patches.  So despite the fact that it feels lovely on my dry lips, it doesn't look lovely!  I am tempted to buy a full sized lip oil to see if I get similar results because aside from that, I really do enjoy it.

Too Faced Sweet Peach lip oil in "Pure Peach"

You can pick up the Too Faced Sweet Peach collection on their website or at Sephora (online or in store). The collection contains the eyeshadow palette and lip gloss, as well as a highlighting palette and blush, with prices ranging from $24-59 CAD.

Have you tried anything from the Too Faced Sweet Peach collection? I'd love to hear your thoughts! 

Anastasia Beverly Hills Lip Gloss in "Orchid"

I blame winter for both wrecking havoc on my lips and also for making me crave everything spring-like but I have recently become obsessed with lip glosses. Lip glosses have had a longstanding reputation for being sticky, juvenile and non-pigmented, however, the new lip glosses on the market are defying all of those myths. Recently I picked up the Anastasia Beverly Hills lip gloss in “Orchid” and I was blown away by the quality and pigmentation!

The Anastasia Beverly Hills lip glosses are available in three finishes – high shine, metallic, and shimmer – and over 30 shades! They are available at Sephora and retail for $21 CAD which I think is phenomenal value for the quality. They are actually a few dollars cheaper than the liquid lipsticks and I much prefer these! The lip gloss has a delicious vanilla cupcake scent, applies smoothy and evenly to the lips, and is non-sticky and long-lasting. Naturally you will have to touch up after eating but the color fades evenly so that you aren’t left with an unsightly ring of color around your lips.

Look at that pigmentation! It is just as pigmented as the opaque liquid lipsticks but provides a gorgeous glossy finish. “Orchid” is described as a “vivid pink purple” and it is perfect for spring. I am also planning to pick up “Kristen”, “Peony”, “Vintage” and “Weekend Barbie”. Told you I am obsessed!

Have you ever tried the Anastasia Beverly Hills lip gloss? Do you have a favourite shade? What is your favourite lip gloss?

This post contains affiliate links. If you click the link, I may receive a small commission. Thank you for supporting Janine Allison.

SaveSave

Anastasia Beverly Hills Lip Gloss in "Orchid"

I blame winter for both wrecking havoc on my lips and also for making me crave everything spring-like but I have recently become obsessed with lip glosses. Lip glosses have had a longstanding reputation for being sticky, juvenile and non-pigmented, however, the new lip glosses on the market are defying all of those myths. Recently I picked up the Anastasia Beverly Hills lip gloss in "Orchid" and I was blown away by the quality and pigmentation!

The Anastasia Beverly Hills lip glosses are available in three finishes - high shine, metallic, and shimmer - and over 30 shades! They are available at Sephora and retail for $21 CAD which I think is phenomenal value for the quality. They are actually a few dollars cheaper than the liquid lipsticks and I much prefer these! The lip gloss has a delicious vanilla cupcake scent, applies smoothy and evenly to the lips, and is non-sticky and long-lasting. Naturally you will have to touch up after eating but the color fades evenly so that you aren't left with an unsightly ring of color around your lips.

Look at that pigmentation! It is just as pigmented as the opaque liquid lipsticks but provides a gorgeous glossy finish. "Orchid" is described as a "vivid pink purple" and it is perfect for spring. I am also planning to pick up "Kristen", "Peony", "Vintage" and "Weekend Barbie". Told you I am obsessed!

Have you ever tried the Anastasia Beverly Hills lip gloss? Do you have a favourite shade? What is your favourite lip gloss?

This post contains affiliate links. If you click the link, I may receive a small commission. Thank you for supporting Janine Allison.

Is The Original MakeUp Eraser Worth The Money?

For Christmas, Jordan surprised me with one beauty-related item that wasn’t on my list: The Original MakeUp Eraser makeup remover cloth. In fact, I don’t think I ever expressed any interest in this item, so I was truly shocked when I found it in my stocking. Since then I have been testing it out and trying to decide whether it is worth the price tag or not. The verdict? You’ll have to keep reading!

The original MakeUp Eraser cloth is a shockingly bright pink color but it has since been released in other colors including black and white. Surprisingly, the cloth is larger than I expected and extremely soft to touch.  Prior to use, it is recommended that you wash the cloth in a washing machine.

That’s all fine and dandy, but how does it actually work?

According to their website, the cloth is made of a special polyester and silk fabric blend that, when wet, creates a “hydro-mechanical process that breaks the surface tension of the oils that bond makeup to the skin”.  It claims to remove 100% of makeup with just water, including the removal of waterproof mascara in “just seconds”.  This is a pretty bold claim to make considering that the majority of women use items such as makeup remover, micellar water, cleansing cloths, or at the very least, soap and water to remove their makeup every day.

So does it actually work though?

After rinsing the cloth in warm water, I applied it to my face in a circular rubbing motion.  I did not scrub my skin with any force and because the cloth is so soft, it felt quite nice and relaxing on the skin.  I had no problem removing my regular mascara but I did have to work a little harder to remove my waterproof mascara (it certainly took longer than seconds!).  I did, however, appreciate that it did not give me the usual raccoon-eye effect that I normally get when removing my mascara.  Afterwards, my skin felt clean without any irritation, dryness, or oiliness (I have normal-combination skin for reference).  I did not notice any increase in breakouts or any change in the overall condition of my skin since using this.

I also love that by using this, I am reducing landfill waste.  The company claims that the cloth is good for 1000 washes and because of the size, I can get 2-3 uses out of it without having to wash it.  While it is being washed, I revert back to my usual micellar water/cotton pad regimen.  I think it would be especially great for traveling on short trips or to pack in your gym bag.  It’s also great to know that I am cleansing my skin without the use of any chemicals.

As for the negatives, it would be difficult to use this every day if you only owned one cloth.  You rightfully need two so that one is clean at all times, however, this is not a big deal for me personally.  And while I did have to work harder to remove my waterproof makeup, it didn’t require significantly more effort than usual.

Overall, do I think this is worth the money?  While $24 may seem a bit steep to pay for a cloth, if you were to use this regularly, you would quickly get your money’s worth as you would no longer have to pay for makeup remover, cotton pads, etc.  That being said, I doubt I would have ever picked this out and paid $24 for it myself.  I do recommend you give this a try though, particularly if you are interested in a gentle product that removes makeup without the use of chemicals or if you are looking to be more environmentally friendly.

Have you tried the Original MakeUp Eraser? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

SaveSave

Is The Original MakeUp Eraser Worth The Money?

For Christmas, Jordan surprised me with one beauty-related item that wasn't on my list: The Original MakeUp Eraser makeup remover cloth. In fact, I don't think I ever expressed any interest in this item, so I was truly shocked when I found it in my stocking. Since then I have been testing it out and trying to decide whether it is worth the price tag or not. The verdict? You'll have to keep reading!

The original MakeUp Eraser cloth is a shockingly bright pink color but it has since been released in other colors including black and white. Surprisingly, the cloth is larger than I expected and extremely soft to touch.  Prior to use, it is recommended that you wash the cloth in a washing machine.

That's all fine and dandy, but how does it actually work?

According to their website, the cloth is made of a special polyester and silk fabric blend that, when wet, creates a "hydro-mechanical process that breaks the surface tension of the oils that bond makeup to the skin".  It claims to remove 100% of makeup with just water, including the removal of waterproof mascara in "just seconds".  This is a pretty bold claim to make considering that the majority of women use items such as makeup remover, micellar water, cleansing cloths, or at the very least, soap and water to remove their makeup every day.

So does it actually work though?

After rinsing the cloth in warm water, I applied it to my face in a circular rubbing motion.  I did not scrub my skin with any force and because the cloth is so soft, it felt quite nice and relaxing on the skin.  I had no problem removing my regular mascara but I did have to work a little harder to remove my waterproof mascara (it certainly took longer than seconds!).  I did, however, appreciate that it did not give me the usual raccoon-eye effect that I normally get when removing my mascara.  Afterwards, my skin felt clean without any irritation, dryness, or oiliness (I have normal-combination skin for reference).  I did not notice any increase in breakouts or any change in the overall condition of my skin since using this.

I also love that by using this, I am reducing landfill waste.  The company claims that the cloth is good for 1000 washes and because of the size, I can get 2-3 uses out of it without having to wash it.  While it is being washed, I revert back to my usual micellar water/cotton pad regimen.  I think it would be especially great for traveling on short trips or to pack in your gym bag.  It's also great to know that I am cleansing my skin without the use of any chemicals.

As for the negatives, it would be difficult to use this every day if you only owned one cloth.  You rightfully need two so that one is clean at all times, however, this is not a big deal for me personally.  And while I did have to work harder to remove my waterproof makeup, it didn't require significantly more effort than usual.

Overall, do I think this is worth the money?  While $24 may seem a bit steep to pay for a cloth, if you were to use this regularly, you would quickly get your money's worth as you would no longer have to pay for makeup remover, cotton pads, etc.  That being said, I doubt I would have ever picked this out and paid $24 for it myself.  I do recommend you give this a try though, particularly if you are interested in a gentle product that removes makeup without the use of chemicals or if you are looking to be more environmentally friendly.

Have you tried the Original MakeUp Eraser? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Weekly Wrap-Up: February 12

The Weekly Wrap-Up is a new blog link-up hosted by myself and it’s fairly self-explanatory. Simply join in on Sunday to give us a recap of your week – share your favourite purchases, recipes, photos, whatever! The Weekly Wrap-Up will allow you to give closure to the previous week and prepare for a brand new start on Monday. If you’d like to join in, simply grab a copy of the button above, leave a link back to Janine Allison, and add your URL in the link-up gadget at the bottom of this post!

R e c a p

I worked Monday-Friday this week which meant that I had little time for blogging or much else.  Aside from attending a few appointments, going to zumba, and visiting with Jordan’s family, I did very little other than work and sleep.  Thankfully I had a fun weekend to make up for it!  We planned a trip to the city with our tenants-turned-friends, Matt and Brittany a few weeks ago.  Usually Matt and I work opposite weekends which means that we are limited to hanging out during the weekdays but we were both off this weekend and we wanted to do something fun together.

We left after work on Friday and made the two-hour drive, just stopping at the mall briefly before heading to our hotel.  We booked The Duckworth Inn as it was only $46 a night and in the downtown area, plus Matt and Brittany had stayed there before and said it was nice and, more importantly, clean.  We were definitely impressed with the hotel!  We had upgraded to a Deluxe Queen (yes, for that price!) as we were forewarned that the rooms are small and we had plenty of space.  It’s an old heritage house downtown which means that it had gorgeous wooden floors, a brick fireplace, and radiation heaters. The bathroom was small but had a huge walk-in shower and was more than sufficient for two people.  As a bonus there was also free wifi and an on-site restaurant (though we did not eat there).  You could definitely tell the age of the building as there was some peeling paint but overall, I wouldn’t hesitate to stay there again.

Friday night we made a reservation at the Bernard Stanley Gastropub.  I loved the ambience there, especially the sign that said “No, we do not have wifi. Pretend this is 1997 and talk to each other!”.  I started with a Black Currant Sour to drink, though I ended up preferring Jordan’s Cranberry Margarita.  Jordan ordered fried calamari to start which was alright, though I would have preferred more flavour.  On the plus side, it was a huge serving and was perfectly cooked!  I ordered the roasted butternut squash soup from the limited edition Valentine’s Day menu and it was delicious!  I’m not a huge fan of goat cheese but the candied bacon was to die for and again, the serving size was huge – I couldn’t finish it!  For my main, I ordered the roast chicken breast with Jiggs hash, sautéed spinach, dressing and a Guinness and mushroom gravy.  The Jiggs hash is a Newfoundland specialty which is essentially fried leftover vegetables with salt beef and yes, it was delicious.  I only managed to eat about half of my meal after the starter but I wish I could finish it off now!  Jordan ordered the grilled striploin steak with béarnaise sauce and rosemary potato wedges which he really enjoyed.  I personally was not a fan of the sauce, but as a rule I generally don’t like heavy sauces anyway.  His steak came out rare despite him ordering a medium but he ate most if it regardless which indicates how much he enjoyed it.  The waitress did notice the mistake and offered to replace it but he chose not to.  Overall, we enjoyed our meals and would recommend checking it out!  Apparently they do an awesome brunch there as well.

 

After eating, we headed to O’Reilly’s and The Merchant Tavern as Matt was dropping off groomsmen gifts to his friends.  The Merchant Tavern had an amazing vibe (marble tables, wooden walls, a gigantic moose head) and we definitely want to head back there for a meal.  We just had a drink there this time before heading to Yellowbelly Brewery to meet up with Matt and Brittany’s friends for drinks (side note: also recommend eating there!). At the end of the night, we headed to Christian’s bar for a final drink before heading back to the hotel.

Saturday morning we checked out and headed to Rocket Bakery for a cup of tea and a treat before lunch.  I’ve been there before but I’ve always taken it to go and now it may just be my favourite coffee shop in St. John’s.  I had a tea and a raspberry macaron and it was honestly the best macaron that I’ve ever eaten.  I also introduced Brittany to the world of macarons and needless to say, she is a major convert!  After that, we headed to Sushi Island for all-you-can-eat sushi, which was to die for.  I’m still partial to the crab rolls, dynamite rolls and salmon tempura rolls though!

After lunch, we went to Escape Quest for another escape room since we enjoyed the first one so much!  We did “1892: The Great Fire” room this time but sadly we did not escape in time.  After that we just headed to a few stores to finish up our shopping and then came back home.  Overall we had such a great weekend – I love having friends who have so much in common with us!

L o v e s

– My good friend Jamie is battling cystic fibrosis and is currently in Toronto receiving his assessment for a double lung transplant.  As Jamie is no longer able to work right now, a friend of his set up a Go Fund Me page to raise money for him.  I would love it if you could click here and donate or even just share the page on social media.  Every little bit counts and I’m sure he will appreciate it!

– One perk of having small feet is that I am able to shop in the kids section!  I picked up these lace-up flats from Old Navy this weekend.  I really wanted the black pair but they were sold out in my size (the size 5 was actually too big – I needed a 4!) so I grabbed the leopard pair but I will probably buy the black pair as well.

– The sun has been shining and while the temperatures are still cold, it is giving me hope that spring is coming! However…

D i s l i k e s

– There is a huge blizzard forecasted for Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. I am so over the snow and winter in general!

– Seriously, how is tomorrow Monday already? I’m kind of dreading this week but I’m crossing my fingers for some good news later in the week.

O n  T h e  B l o g

Here’s what you may have missed on Janine Allison this week..

John Frieda Luxurious Volume Review

I hope you enjoyed the first Weekly Wrap-Up – feel free to link up below and join in!

 

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Weekly Wrap-Up: February 12

The Weekly Wrap-Up is a new blog link-up hosted by myself and it's fairly self-explanatory. Simply join in on Sunday to give us a recap of your week - share your favourite purchases, recipes, photos, whatever! The Weekly Wrap-Up will allow you to give closure to the previous week and prepare for a brand new start on Monday. If you'd like to join in, simply grab a copy of the button above, leave a link back to Janine Allison, and add your URL in the link-up gadget at the bottom of this post!

R e c a p

I worked Monday-Friday this week which meant that I had little time for blogging or much else.  Aside from attending a few appointments, going to zumba, and visiting with Jordan's family, I did very little other than work and sleep.  Thankfully I had a fun weekend to make up for it!  We planned a trip to the city with our tenants-turned-friends, Matt and Brittany a few weeks ago.  Usually Matt and I work opposite weekends which means that we are limited to hanging out during the weekdays but we were both off this weekend and we wanted to do something fun together.

We left after work on Friday and made the two-hour drive, just stopping at the mall briefly before heading to our hotel.  We booked The Duckworth Inn as it was only $46 a night and in the downtown area, plus Matt and Brittany had stayed there before and said it was nice and, more importantly, clean.  We were definitely impressed with the hotel!  We had upgraded to a Deluxe Queen (yes, for that price!) as we were forewarned that the rooms are small and we had plenty of space.  It's an old heritage house downtown which means that it had gorgeous wooden floors, a brick fireplace, and radiation heaters. The bathroom was small but had a huge walk-in shower and was more than sufficient for two people.  As a bonus there was also free wifi and an on-site restaurant (though we did not eat there).  You could definitely tell the age of the building as there was some peeling paint but overall, I wouldn't hesitate to stay there again.

Friday night we made a reservation at the Bernard Stanley Gastropub.  I loved the ambience there, especially the sign that said "No, we do not have wifi. Pretend this is 1997 and talk to each other!".  I started with a Black Currant Sour to drink, though I ended up preferring Jordan's Cranberry Margarita.  Jordan ordered fried calamari to start which was alright, though I would have preferred more flavour.  On the plus side, it was a huge serving and was perfectly cooked!  I ordered the roasted butternut squash soup from the limited edition Valentine's Day menu and it was delicious!  I'm not a huge fan of goat cheese but the candied bacon was to die for and again, the serving size was huge - I couldn't finish it!  For my main, I ordered the roast chicken breast with Jiggs hash, sautéed spinach, dressing and a Guinness and mushroom gravy.  The Jiggs hash is a Newfoundland specialty which is essentially fried leftover vegetables with salt beef and yes, it was delicious.  I only managed to eat about half of my meal after the starter but I wish I could finish it off now!  Jordan ordered the grilled striploin steak with béarnaise sauce and rosemary potato wedges which he really enjoyed.  I personally was not a fan of the sauce, but as a rule I generally don't like heavy sauces anyway.  His steak came out rare despite him ordering a medium but he ate most if it regardless which indicates how much he enjoyed it.  The waitress did notice the mistake and offered to replace it but he chose not to.  Overall, we enjoyed our meals and would recommend checking it out!  Apparently they do an awesome brunch there as well.

After eating, we headed to O'Reilly's and The Merchant Tavern as Matt was dropping off groomsmen gifts to his friends.  The Merchant Tavern had an amazing vibe (marble tables, wooden walls, a gigantic moose head) and we definitely want to head back there for a meal.  We just had a drink there this time before heading to Yellowbelly Brewery to meet up with Matt and Brittany's friends for drinks (side note: also recommend eating there!). At the end of the night, we headed to Christian's bar for a final drink before heading back to the hotel.

 

Saturday morning we checked out and headed to Rocket Bakery for a cup of tea and a treat before lunch.  I've been there before but I've always taken it to go and now it may just be my favourite coffee shop in St. John's.  I had a tea and a raspberry macaron and it was honestly the best macaron that I've ever eaten.  I also introduced Brittany to the world of macarons and needless to say, she is a major convert!  After that, we headed to Sushi Island for all-you-can-eat sushi, which was to die for.  I'm still partial to the crab rolls, dynamite rolls and salmon tempura rolls though!

 

 

After lunch, we went to Escape Quest for another escape room since we enjoyed the first one so much!  We did "1892: The Great Fire" room this time but sadly we did not escape in time.  After that we just headed to a few stores to finish up our shopping and then came back home.  Overall we had such a great weekend - I love having friends who have so much in common with us!

L o v e s 

- My good friend Jamie is battling cystic fibrosis and is currently in Toronto receiving his assessment for a double lung transplant.  As Jamie is no longer able to work right now, a friend of his set up a Go Fund Me page to raise money for him.  I would love it if you could click here and donate or even just share the page on social media.  Every little bit counts and I'm sure he will appreciate it!

- One perk of having small feet is that I am able to shop in the kids section!  I picked up these lace-up flats from Old Navy this weekend.  I really wanted the black pair but they were sold out in my size (the size 5 was actually too big - I needed a 4!) so I grabbed the leopard pair but I will probably buy the black pair as well.

- The sun has been shining and while the temperatures are still cold, it is giving me hope that spring is coming! However...

D i s l i k e s

- There is a huge blizzard forecasted for Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. I am so over the snow and winter in general! 

- Seriously, how is tomorrow Monday already? I'm kind of dreading this week but I'm crossing my fingers for some good news later in the week.  

O n  T h e  B l o g

Here's what you may have missed on Janine Allison this week.. 

John Frieda Luxurious Volume Review

I hope you enjoyed the first Weekly Wrap-Up - feel free to link up below and join in!